Nov 27, 2010 | Uncategorized
Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!
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| NOT for dinner (today) |
We decided to do it easy this year and I made pinto beans, chicken soup, cornbread dressing muffins, broccoli salad, and ham (for everyone else.) Oh, and lots and lots of pie… (apple, pumpkin, pecan.)
My grandpa and uncle came and mom and Scott’s folks. Just right.
Interviewing the kiddos:
Me: “What are you thankful for?”
J: “The world. “
M: “Apple pie and Legos.”
E: “Everything.”
J: “Oh, and I’m thankful for all the people I love. And my dog.”
M: “And mom.”
My cup runneth over.
Nov 22, 2010 | Green Living, Uncategorized
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| The start of the hunt (slightly muddy eggs) |
We just had an amazing egg hunt! (Yes, I know it’s November, let me explain…)
Our chickens have been acting strangely.
We couldn’t find the girls last night and searched the yard (and neighborhood) high and low.
No sign. I thought they were in a pot or cat’s belly somewhere.
This morning they all wandered out around 10 AM. They had been hiding under the deck! (We have a HUGE deck.)
Dinner, the sweetest chicken, was not coming out but for a minute or two to eat and I thought maybe she’d been injured by a cat or some other creature…
BUT…
When we went hunting for her tonight (to put her up in the coop) I found her in the smallest part of the deck (about 6 inches from the ground.) She was sitting on a “nest” of eggs and she pecked at me when I went to chase her off.
Uh oh- a broody girl!
When I managed to chase her off Scott went to reach for the egg she had been sitting on.
Hubby: “Um, babe?”
Me: “Yeah?”
Hubby: “She doesn’t just have one egg…”
Me: “Oh? How many?”
Hubby (laughing): “Get me a BIG basket.”
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| Before washing and testing |
The Grand Total?
81 EGGS!
After washing them assembly-line style twice, and testing them 2-3 times by independent judges (me and the kids) we ended up with 44 GOOD ones! Oh me.
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| After, only part of the find |
And I accused the chickens of being lazy.
Nov 18, 2010 | Uncategorized
I am a coffee addict. Trying to curb my habit but it’s so hard.
I wonder
Why, oh why does that bean keep me coming back for more?
- It is all-natural.
- I like to support Panamanian coffee farmers.
- It warms me ole’ bones.
- My kids & husband don’t want to be around me if I don’t.
- My pets don’t want to be around me if I don’t.
- If I don’t get it I look like a zombie.
- It’s almost as good as cocoa.
- I want to be a coffee or dairy farmer when I grow up (or in my next life.)
- It goes well with pastries (OK, so what doesn’t?)
- The health benefits (lowers risks of certain diseases which I didn’t know about until today!)
The Prompts:
1.) Why are you burned out?
2.) Write a poem about a time someone made you smile.
3.) A list of 10 reasons you do or do not drink coffee.
4.) An open letter to a celebrity.
5.) That one time you met your online friend in real life (was it everything you thought it would be?)
Nov 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
I am trying to purge.
Not sure if it’s because of…
a.) my daughter’s obsession with American Pickers
b.) trying to decide if we’re going to put our house on the market
c.) my hubby watching Hoarders online.
Anyway, it’s a good thing.
I managed to get through the books in our dining room.
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| Bookcase |
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| Left & Right Windowseats |
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| The best thing was the SEVEN boxes of movies and books I have to give away! |
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Nov 10, 2010 | Panameña, Recipes
This is one of those recipes that takes me back to my childhood…
Here is my recipe using dried flowers (because, I am in Arkansas and can’t get fresh ones!)
Saril, is the calyx of the hibiscus flower. You can find dried ones at most Mexican or Latin American grocery stores. In Mexico they are called “Jamaica” flowers because the drink originates from Jamaica. (Well, technically it comes from tropical Africa…)
When it’s boiled you get a lovely deep red drink (similar to a Kool Aid punch) which actually is very good for you. As a kid, I was told by my baby-sitters that it was good for your liver and iron and would keep you from getting colds. Unlike other concoctions I didn’t mind drinking this because it was very, very, yummy.
The truth?
Hibiscus tea, Chica de Saril, Jamaica, Sorrell Punch, Hibiscus punch… whatever you call it
HAS BEEN SHOWN to:
Lower cholesterol,
Lower blood pressure,
Help sugar levels,
Boost immune system
and aid in weight loss!
*Now, with all the sugar in it I’m not sure how much of a help it can be in lowering blood sugar…
